Bristol Township, PA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Obstruction Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Sidewalk clearance
- Free passage of not less than four feet at all times
- Fire hydrants
- No construction materials within 25 feet
- Containers
- No POD, U-Box, roll-off or bag-style dumpster in the right-of-way
- Fixed obstructions
- Removed on written notice from the Township Engineer
- Maximum penalty
- $1,000 plus costs, up to 30 days imprisonment in default
- Last amended
- 11-20-2025 by Ord. No. 2025-03
Summary
In Bristol Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, construction materials cannot block a sidewalk below four feet of free passage, cannot sit within 25 feet of a fire hydrant, and storage containers and dumpsters are barred from any public right-of-way under § 175-29. Violations carry a fine up to $1,000 plus costs.
No building or construction materials or facilities for building construction shall be permitted to occupy any area within an improved road surface or obstruct any sidewalk so that free passage of not less than four feet in width shall be maintained at all times nor shall such materials be permitted to be placed within 25 feet of any fire hydrant or be mixed upon an improved surface or left within the permit area after the expiration of the permit. No personal storage containers (e.g., POD, U-Box, etc.), roll-off dumpster or bag-style dumpster shall be permitted to occupy any area within a public right-of-way including an improved road surface or any sidewalk.
Full Breakdown
Section 175-29 of the Bristol Township Code, amended 11-20-2025 by Ord. No. 2025-03, is the Township's rule on obstructing public rights-of-way. No building or construction materials or facilities for building construction can occupy any area within an improved road surface or obstruct any sidewalk so that free passage of not less than four feet in width is lost. The materials cannot be placed within 25 feet of any fire hydrant, cannot be mixed upon an improved surface, and cannot be left within the permit area after the permit expires.
The 2025 amendment added a flat ban on containers. No personal storage containers (the code names POD and U-Box units), roll-off dumpsters or bag-style dumpsters can occupy any area within a public right-of-way, including an improved road surface or any sidewalk. Unlike the materials rule, the container sentence carries no four-foot allowance: the right-of-way is off limits.
Section 175-30 adds that no gasoline pumps, oil tanks, walls, fences, posts, stones, planting, shrubbery or similar obstructions can be placed within the permit area. When the Township Engineer gives written notice, the property owner must remove the obstruction promptly. If the owner does not comply, the Township removes it and charges the cost to the owner. The permit area is defined in § 175-16 as the area within the right-of-way lines of any Township highway, plus the portion of a state or county highway between the curbs or paving edge and the right-of-way lines.
Other duties in the same article: a permit applicant must furnish suitable protection around openings, excavations and stored materials in the permit area with flags and barricades, backed by yellow flashing lights kept operative from sunset to sunrise or by flagmen where the Township Engineer requires (§ 175-25). Section 175-28 bars throwing or dumping paper, trash, rubbish, ashes, junk or waste in any gutter, street, sidewalk or footpath in the Township. The code's editor's note points readers to Chapter 150, Property Maintenance, for storage of wood and building materials.
Violations & Fines
Under § 175-32, a person who violates Article III is subject, on conviction, to a fine not to exceed $1,000 plus costs of prosecution, and in default of payment to imprisonment for a term not to exceed 30 days. Where an owner ignores a written removal notice under § 175-30, the Township removes the obstruction itself and bills the cost to the owner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put a roll-off dumpster in front of my house in Bristol Township?
How much of a sidewalk must stay open when construction materials are stored nearby?
What happens if a wall, post or shrubbery sits in the right-of-way?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bristol Township
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